Will's Farm Life
by Bralt
Summary: What if Will didn't try to get the note Halt gave the baron? Would he still be a Ranger? Please Review.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Ranger's Apprentice or any of its characters**

Chapter 1: A Tough Day and a Bad Future

Will slumped against the rough bark of the tree and sighed. He had been sitting here since the Choosing. The day he had imagined to be the best of his life had turned out to be the worst. He had been denied by almost every craft master. None wanted him. He was either to small, to weak or just not capable. He had nearly broken into tears. All of his dreams, all of them, had been shattered. He had wanted to follow in the footsteps he imagined his father had created but he wasn't big enough for battle school. So he figured he had let his father down.

He had considered breaking into Baron Arald's office and stealing a look at the note Halt had given him. The curiosity was burning at him but he doubted it was anything worth knowing. Besides, he was to upset and he had partly accepted the fact he was bound to a life of farm work. He sighed again and felt a tear fall from his eye. He believed that he had shamed his father and that he would be doomed to a life of harvesting and fixing fences.

Some time ago one of his former ward mates had come out calling his name. Probably for the feast that the Baron had sent them, it was probably over by now. It didn't matter, he wasn't hungry. All that would have happened if he went would be that Horace would mock him to no end. Horace had been accepted to battle school just like he had wanted. Will didn't feel like listening to him brag about it.

"I'll just spend the night up here. Nobody will notice if I'm gone in the morning. They'll all be heading off to their craft masters," Will said to himself a little bitterly.

He climbed down a few branches to a sturdy limb that was about as thick as his waist. He put his back to the trunk and closed his eyes. He barely got any sleep. Every time he felt himself slipping, he jerked awake and moved back to a safe position. Sooner than he would have liked, the sun was coming up lighting the sky beautifully.

"Great. Time to get going." Will muttered miserably.

He climbed down the tree and dropped to the ground. He walked into the ward just in time to see Horace leaving.

"I have to go to training. I actually was wanted by somebody." He let out a short bark of laughter.

"Have fun. Maybe there'll be a war soon and you can prove how special you are or at least die trying." Will looked at the bigger boy with utter distaste.

"Have fun feeding hogs." Horace walked out laughing, leaving Will feeling worse than he had already been.

Will made his way to the kitchen and sat down at the table that he had eaten at so many times in his past. Jenny was sitting there finishing her breakfast.

"Hi Will. I was worried when you disappeared yesterday. I am really sorry that you weren't chosen for anything."

"'Sall right. Where is everyone else?" Will said somberly. He mindlessly started tracing the lines on the wooden table.

"They already left. Horace left a little late, I think he was hoping you would show up and he could tease you. I have to get going Will. Master Chubb isn't very tolerant with apprentices. I'm sorry." Jenny finished her breakfast and gave Will a sympathetic look before leaving.

Will sat at the table for a while. He knew he should eat but he didn't have the willpower. All his worst dreams were becoming reality. He was soon going to be sent off someplace whether he liked it or not. After about an hour, Martin entered the kitchen.

"Well come on then! Baron Arald needs to deal with you! Come on, come on! He hasn't got all day you know!" Martin herded Will out of the kitchen.

They finally entered the Baron's study. It was just as Will had remembered it. Only this time he didn't look around, he was too filled with misery. Martin pushed him to the desk where Will stood opposite the Baron with the massive desk between them.

"Well Will, I guess you'll be a farmer. It isn't so bad! You'll be providing the fief with food! You'll be doing a service at least." Arald looked at Will like Will had disappointed him and he was trying to ignore the fact.

"Yes my lord." Will replied without enthusiasm.

"Martin will take you to your new home. It is on the fringes of the fief and probably the closest thing to Halt's house." Arald tried to add some humor in the last sentence but he saw in Will's eyes that it only added terror to his imagined future. "Don't worry. If it isn't meant to be, it will change. Good-bye for now Will."

Martin shuffled Will back out the door like Will was a sheep and he was the collie. As the doors shut behind the pair, a figure stepped out of the shadows. It was Halt.

"It's a shame Halt. He isn't meant for farm life. He deserves a life of adventure." Arald sighed and looked at the short sturdy man beside him.

"I wouldn't worry too much. He looked miserable. I'd be willing to bet that he'll do something to get away from there and I'll be waiting. The only thing that puzzles me is why he didn't come get the note. I've been watching him and from what he's shown, he should have come and got the note." Halt replied from within his cowl.

"I know Halt. I know. Just watch him. I don't want him running away." Arald stood signaling that it was time to dismiss.

The Baron exited through the door behind his desk while Halt left through the big doors where Will had left. He was going to make sure Will didn't escape on the ride there. He doubted Will would try, but it never hurt to be careful. Besides, Will had surprised him once with his actions and he wasn't going to do it again.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Ranger's Apprentice or any of its characters.**

Chapter 2: A New Home

Will had been given a small gray horse that seemed barely older than a foal while Martin had been given a sleek black battle horse that towered over Will. The horse seemed to know enough to follow Martin's horse, but even though Will didn't have to steer, he bounced around in the saddle like a sack of potatoes. He had nearly fallen off around six times. Martin rode about half a meter in front of Will and paid him no heed. Will had nearly choked on the dust that Martin's horse kicked up from the dirt path.

Will had been following behind Martin in a miserable fog for around thirty minutes. It wouldn't have taken that long if Martin didn't keep stopping to talk to nearly every person they met. He seemed oblivious to Will's presence, never seeming to look back to make sure he was still there. Finally a small farm house came into view. It was quaint but looked very home like. It was made of stones with mud and clay used as mortar. It had a slate roof and a chimney and the front had a deck coming off it. There were two holes about a meter each away from the door on either side. Upon further investigation, Will realized they were windows.

On the right of the house, off a ways, there was a barn. It looked like it had been nice at one point but years of housing animals had taken a toll. The paint was peeling off the wooden structure in several places and slates were missing in some spots of the roof. There was a hole a good ways up from the large doors where hay was sticking out. Altogether, it was exactly what Will had been expecting. When the house and barn were within ten meters, Martin looked back at Will.

"This is Chilton Neil's house. He lives here with his wife, Paige. Right now their son, Elton, is visiting from Araluen where he works as a farmer. You may have to spend a few nights in the barn if he's taken up the second bedroom." With that, Martin fixed his gaze forward once more.

When they got to the house, the three family members were standing on the porch to the house leaning against the railing. The one on the right Will guessed was Elton. He looked about twenty and handsome. He had brown hair brushed to one side. Only his bangs were long, everything else was cut pretty short. The man was well muscled and wearing standard farmer clothes. If he stood he was probably the height of Martin's horse which was about twenty hands.

The woman in the middle was Paige. She looked to be about forty but in good shape. She wore a blue dress with white trimming. She had a white bonnet over her head and brown curls poked out of the bottom. She was standing on the right of a man about the same age as her if not older. He looked like an older version of Elton. The only visible difference was that Chilton's head was shaved and he had a straw hat sitting by him on the railing.

As Martin and Will rode closer, Elton and Chilton stood and made their way down the steps of the porch to greet them. Paige stayed on the deck but stood straight and smoothed out her dress.

"Morning to yah! How goes the ride?" Elton's voice was deep and unwavering. But it sounded nice and kidding.

"Quite well Elton. Hope the farm in Araluen is going well." Martin replied as he turned his horse sideways to a stop.

"I had to give up on that. Didn't have enough land for the animals and the crops weren't growing too well. Duncan gave me a fair price for the land though. I'm working here probably forever now." Elton stepped over to Will and helped him down. Will's thighs were sore from the brief ride. "You must be Will. Welcome to the Neil's family farm." Elton handed the reins to Martin when Will was safely off the horse. "I'm Elton. I'll show you around later. This is Chilton, my father." Elton motioned towards Chilton who was watching the boys with a blank expression. "He's actually not very stern once you get to know him." Elton added in an undertone. "And that is my mother Paige. She's an excellent cook but she doesn't like cleaning up other's messes." Will waved to Paige and she smiled and waved back.

"I'll be seeing you then. The Baron will be glad you've come when Elton is here." Martin wheeled his horse around and started trotting away with the little horse in tow.

The two boys walked across the dry dirt to where Chilton was. Will, without invitation or prompting, held out his hand for a shake. Chilton took it and gave him a firm shake. He had put his hat on.

"Nice to meet you sir." Will released Chilton's hand and looked at him.

"You don't look too bad. A few months feeding the hogs and planting outta make that shake a little firmer." Chilton didn't seem like he was kidding and his gray eyes gave nothing away.

Will looked to Elton to see what to do next. He had already decided that he liked the youth and would follow his lead until he learned how things worked. Elton motioned for Will to continue the conversation.

"I like your house sir. Looks very home like." Will motioned towards the house with his left hand.

"No need for all this sir stuff. Call me Chilton and I'll call you Will. Sound good?"

"Yes Chilton." Will's thighs were starting to hurt more intensely so he shifted so more weight was on one side.

"Just answer. No need to wear my name out by using it after everything you say to me." Chilton smiled and Will saw that one of his front teeth was missing. "Now, I think it's time we got to work. The animals need feeding, the horses need tending to and the fence needs fixing not to mention a million other things that need to be done." Chilton held his smile on his face, but Will felt a sinking feeling in his gut. Chilton wasn't kidding.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own Ranger's Apprentice or any of its characters.**

Chapter 3: Hard Work

Will was grunting with pain. He was carrying a giant barrel filled with slop to the pig pen from the house. The pig pen was enclosed by a fence set on the side of the barn and was six meters from the house. It was filled with what Will hoped was mud and had a little shelter coming off the barn side so during the winter the pigs would stay warm. Along the inside perimeter of the fence there was a trough that Will had to dump the slop into.

He was half way to the pen when he had to stop. It took two barrels to fill the trough and feed all the pigs. On his first trip, Will had nearly collapsed under the weight, but he had found a good grip that made his legs take some of the weight of the barrel. The barrels were filled with all the stuff that was either left over from meals or brought from the inn. Another task Will had to do. One day's meals could only fill up about half a barrel so they had to go to the inn and tavern to retrieve the left over from those places also.

Will carried the barrel to the pen and set it on the fence sideways so that the open end was inside the pen. He pushed the barrel along the fence and watched as the contents spilled into the trough. When he was done, he watched as the pigs gathered round and started feasting. It was pretty funny in Will's eyes. His previous mood had been forgotten as Will had started his tasks.

He took the empty barrel back to the house and put it right inside the door. He walked out and went in search of Elton. Will went to the barn where he had last seen Elton go. Elton was tending to the horses.

"Elton, I'm done feeding the pigs. What do I do now?" Will stood behind Elton waiting for him to finish brushing the horse.

"Well, I fed the cows and took care of the horses, so we should probably go look at the fences." Elton put the brush down on a shelf and started walking towards the barn doors with Will in tow. He stopped at a stall near the front of the barn and grabbed the reins of two identical Clydesdale horses. "This is Windwhip. Appropriately named to. If you don't control her speed, she'll go off like a pig being chased by a butcher." Elton handed Will the reins to the small white horse. She seemed intelligent and dangerous.

"Umm… I can't ride to well. Have any slower horses?" Will asked a little shyly.

"Well you passed. Anybody I've ever seen from the castle would have lied and mounted her pretending to be an expert. It takes some guts admitting you can't do something. Here take her brother. They were twins but he's a lot calmer. He may be taller, but he's real easy going. I'll hold him on a lead rope to steer him. All you have to do is sit on him and look pretty." Elton took the reins from Will with his right hand and handed him the other reins with his left. Will took the reins and noticed something odd with Elton's left hand. The top half of the ring finger was missing.

"What happened to your finger?" Will asked as Elton saddled the horses.

"A little incident with a jerk of a noble. He had been making fun of my best bud 'cause he had a deformed lip. I told him to shut it or I'd make his lip worse. Well, he wouldn't give up so I followed through on my promise. The noble demanded punishment but since it was a minor problem, all they did was cut off half my finger. I still stand by my choice though. Had I not stepped in, that noble jerk would have gotten physical and my bud wasn't that strong and would have gotten whooped." Elton finished saddling the horses and helped Will up onto his horse.

"Thanks. Does he have a name?" Will asked.

"Scholar. He's the smartest we got. He's secluded and independent as a scholar and sometimes he acts like a know it all." Elton grinned at Will before climbing onto Windwhip.

They went around the perimeter of the fence with Scholar pulling a small wagon with tools in it. Any time they found a weakness in the fence, they fixed it. By the time they had finished, it was ten minutes to noon and Will felt starved. He was sweating and he took a large gulp of water from the container they had brought with them.

"Come on Will, we better get back before dad eats everything." Elton smiled and took the container back from Will to take a drink himself. They started back across the dry ground to the house.

"Elton?" They were about five minutes away from the house.

"Yeah Will?" Elton kept the horses riding side by side. Even though Scholar was taller, Elton was tall enough so that they were riding even with each other.

"Is every day like this? I mean is every day made up of feeding animals and fixing fences? Is there ever any excitement?"

Elton thought for a few seconds before answering. "Well, during the Harvest Festival, we go and spend some time in town until we've sold everything. Even after the festival, if we have anything left, we stay a while. Early in the morning and before supper we milk the cows, but dad does that. If the animals get out we have to track them down. Other than that, nothing to interesting happens. Sorry." Elton truly did sound sorry.

"Don't be. I was just wondering if there was any change of agenda." Will managed to sound upbeat for Elton's sake. He didn't want him feeling sorry for him to.

"Well, seeing as we fixed the fence and I planted the crops yesterday, dad might let us have the rest of today and tomorrow off. With the crops planted, not much needs doing 'round here. He needs them watered but he actually enjoys doing that." They were riding the horses to the barn.

Elton helped Will down and put the horses in the stalls while Will waited for him by the doors. When Elton had finished, they started walking towards the house. Soon they were sitting at the table in the kitchen.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own Ranger's Apprentice or its characters**

Chapter 4: Lunch

Will looked around. It wasn't much but it was enough. Opposite the door that they had entered through, another door went deeper into the house. The table was set in the middle of the kitchen with a counter on all sides of the room except the sides with the doors. The windows in the wall provided enough light not to need a candle. A stove was set in a gap in the counter against the wall. On top sat a kettle that was smoking. Paige had made pork sandwiches and Will decided not to ask where they got the pork.

"The sandwiches are very good Mrs. Neil." Will looked shyly at her.

"Call me Paige. We all go by first names here." Paige smiled at Will. She was sitting across from Will at the round table. Elton was on her left and Chilton was on her right. They were both greedily eating their sandwiches downing water with it.

"Umm… What do I use for clothes? I brought my belongings but the clothes were all borrowed from the Baron. Sorry about the bother." Will tore off a piece of his sandwich and slowly chewed it trying not to think about the pigs he had fed earlier.

"We still have most of Elton's clothes. You can use them. It's no bother Will." She smiled again at him while taking a sip of water.

"Hey dad." Elton swallowed the rest of his lunch and leaned back on two legs in his chair. Chilton grunted. "Can Will and I have today and tomorrow off? We finished everything and the crops are planted and there isn't anything to butcher."

"Sure. But before you go wandering off, I want you to go and get what you can from the tavern and inn. We won't have a lot of scraps now that we got another mouth to feed." Will looked down at his sandwich feeling as if he were a nuisance.

"Sorry." Will mumbled.

"For what?" Chilton looked at Will confused. Will saw that the light from the window glared off his scalp.

"For being a nuisance." Will mumbled at his plate. Elton started laughing and Chilton grinned. Paige seemed the only one concerned for his feelings.

"Sweetie, you aren't a nuisance. Most the food we gave the pigs were going bad when we put them in the barrel. Now that there is another mouth to feed, the food will go to better use. We get the stuff at the tavern and inn for free anyway. Elton, go get the food. Will can stay and finish his lunch.

"It's no problem. I'm not that hungry anyway. I can go." Will went to stand but Elton motioned for him to sit.

"I won't be more than twenty minutes. I usually bring the empty barrels to give to them in exchange for two full barrels, each place only has one barrel full at lunch. Besides, they need to tell you the rules."

Elton winked at Will. He sent his chair crashing onto all fours and stood up. He opened the door and left. Will sat at the table feeling more than a little awkward. Elton was the closest to his age and now that Elton was gone, Will felt oddly out of place. He picked at his sandwich and drank some water. Earlier he had been starving but now he didn't feel hungry at all.

"We didn't poison it you know." Chilton nodded at the food that Will had picked at like a mouse.

"Sorry. I'm not that hungry. Well actually I am but I'm not." When Will got nervous he talked. And usually it made no sense.

"What's that mean?" Chilton said not unkindly.

"Just that I'm hungry." And to prove it, Will picked up the fourth of his sandwich that was left and devoured it. He drained his glass of water also. "What were these rules that Elton spoke about?" Will shuffled his feet on the floor. His soft boots mad an awkward noise.

"Don't burn the house down. Don't lie. Don't steal. Don't kill. Don't act like a prince. Don't get in fights unless necessary and don't let the animals out. Those rules can't be too hard to follow can they?" Chilton looked at Will with a hint of amusement in his eyes.

"No problem Chilton." Will grinned for the first time since arriving. "So, what usually goes on around here? Elton told me that the most interesting time is when the Harvest Festival comes around."

"He would say that. That's about the only time he can see his friends. Mostly you stay here and work, but you do get days off. The problem is that Elton's buds are either battle school apprentices in their final year or from Araluen. They make plans to meet at the festival. Do you have any friends?" Chilton leaned back in his chair like Elton had.

"My ward mates. We grew up together. Although, I don't miss Horace to awfully much. I do wish I could see Jenny, Alyss, or George. They were always nice to me." Will smiled at the memory of his friends. "So, tell me, does anybody ever come by here?"

"Not really. Sometimes we have somebody who wants a pig or a cow. Sometimes their wagon broke down nearby and they need help." Chilton shrugged. "Don't really have time for them anyway."

"Why are you so out of town? Surely you could have gotten a place closer to the village." Will looked up at the Neils. He liked their name. He wouldn't mind having it.

"There was more land out here. And Elton will show you something else that we are proud to be around." Chilton smiled. "You might want to go pack a change of clothes and some food. Elton will be back and if I know what he's doing, you'll be needing things like that."

"Can I have a pack? All my belongings fit in my pocket so I didn't bring a pack." Will directed the question at Paige.

"Why sure! Anything you want to leave behind? I promise I won't poke through it. Just put it on the table." Paige got up and went through the door deeper into the house.

Will put a piece of parchment on the table that looked like it had been folded and refolded a million times. Chilton looked at it curiously but remained perched on the back legs of the chair. Next Will pulled out some little trinkets that he had gotten at festivals and other events. It wasn't much but it was what he owned and he was very protective of them. Soon Paige returned with a sack of clothes and dried meat.

"There isn't anything special but it's what we have." Paige handed the sack to Will.

"Thank you Paige." Will smiled.

"If you're going where I think you are, you'll be needing a weapon. Paige, you know where that sword is that Elton used before he got a new one? It seems that Will could handle it." Paige went into the door again and emerged with a sword and a scabbard attached to a belt. "Elton will teach you the basics. It's really just for protection. If somebody sees you with a sword, they might think twice about messing with you."

Paige handed Will the equipment then took up her seat again. Five minutes later Elton came in the door.

"Well, let's go!" Elton was obviously excited.

"Don't you need clothes and food?" Will stood and made his way over to the older youth.

"I packed them all in one sack. It's easier than carrying two sacks." Paige replied.

"Take Windwhip and Scholar, I'll use their mother to water the crops," Chilton said. "Now scram," He said smiling.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I do not own Ranger's Apprentice or any of its characters**

Chapter 5: A Tradition

"Elton, why did we abandon the horses? This is hard going." Will panted.

"Don't worry, we're almost there. Blakely will be there. It's going to be awesome." Elton was excited about something. Will assumed Blakely was a friend.

They had ridden to the heart of the forest surrounding the back of the Neil property. There they had tied the horses to stakes that looked like they were there for the exact purpose. When Will had asked Elton, he had replied 'I've done this a few times'. They had started walking towards the coast. Gradually the forest floor had begun to rise but the constant roar of the river stayed with them. They had been at it for around an hour and the path was still getting steeper and the river noise didn't abandon them.

"Who's Blakely?" Will jogged up to beside Elton.

"A great friend. He lives in Araluen. He worked at my farm while it was running. He actually started the farm with me. He moved here a month ago with his folks to start new. They got property on the other side of the fief. He has some time off so he's going to meet us at halfway. Want me to take the sack?" Without waiting for an answer, Elton took the sack and threw it over his shoulder. "We have to at least get to the cave by dark sunset."

Just then, the slope started to even out and the going became easier. Will started looking at his surroundings. It was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. They seemed to be following no path but Will was sure Elton had done this enough times not to need a trail. The trees were their leafy green summer selves. The sun came down in little pieces through the cover of leaves above. The ground was covered in underbrush and roots. Will thought that it was the best thing ever. He loved it so much he lost track of time.

"Will! Get down! Now!" Elton was lying in a bush off a ways to Will's left.

Confused, Will dropped down beside him and looked at him questionably. Elton was looking at a cave two meters on their left. Will followed his gaze and saw movement in the cave. It looked to be a human but with Will's mind going into overdrive; he thought it was some horrible beast waiting for supper.

"That's Blakely." The relief on Will's face was huge. "We are going to scare him."

"Isn't that mean. I mean if he's your friend shouldn't you be nicer?" Will looked truly baffled.

"It's his fault for coming first. He knows the tradition. First one here has to watch his back. Once I was the first one here and they got me at night. It was terrifying." Elton put a finger to his lips signaling that their whispered conversation was over.

Suddenly they heard a twig break to their right a few meters away. They both snapped their eyes to where the sound had come from but saw nothing. Will swore he heard a muttered curse but wasn't positive. Elton shrugged and looked back to the cave. There was no more movement.

"Here's the plan. You go in and act like a lost traveler. There is a hole in the middle of the cave ceiling. You try and get him as close to the entrance to the cave as possible. I'll drop through the hole and get behind him. I'll scare the pants off him." Elton grinned wickedly.

"What kind of tradition is that?" Will looked at Elton shocked. Elton had seemed so nice. Not the type to do this kind of stuff.

"Whoever gets here first is always scared to death. It's our way of saying hello. Blakely was the one who came up with it after we pranked Drake two years ago. Drake was getting a big head."

"That makes no sense but I suppose traditions never make sense." Will shook his head.

"Here take the pack. Now go. The more we wait, the more Blakely will be ready." Elton gave the pack to Will and shooed him out of the cover.

As Will emerged, he felt like he was being watched but he shrugged the feeling away. He started wandering around pretending to not know where anything was. Finally he reached the cave and peered in.

"Not this time Elton!" Blakely jumped out of the cave with a tree branch in his hand. He started waving it then noticed Will. "Who're you?" Confusion took over Blakely as he lowered the branch.

Will looked at him in terror. He was the same age as Elton. His hair was a light blond and his green eyes seemed to be filled with amusement. He was wearing standard traveling clothes and had no boots on.

"Well, who're you?" Blakely pointed the tree branch at Will's chest.

"I was… I was heading to Celtica and got lost. Can you help me?" Will put on his best pleading look.

"I suppose. Right now you're about a half day away from the coast. Another whole day traveling southeast should see you safely across the border. Do you plan on traveling through the night? Feel free to stay he…" Blakely's sentence was cut off as a blade appeared at his throat. He jumped about a foot in the air.

Will heard laughter from behind Blakely and he started to laugh also when he saw Blakely's face. It was priceless. Blakely turned to see Elton chuckling. When Elton saw Blakely's face, he burst out laughing.

"Good job. But I knew what was happening all along. I just decided to go with it." Blakely tried to gain some pride back but failed as Will and Elton went into an uncontrollable laughter.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I do not own Ranger's Apprentice or any of its characters**

Chapter 6: An Unforgettable Night.

"Welcome to Cave Halfway!" Blakely said to Will as he shifted to a more comfortable position.

It was about an hour after Will and Elton had gotten to the cave and the stars shone brightly. The older boys had sent Will to go get firewood as they scanned the area for animals. They had gotten two rabbits and the three boys were gladly eating them now. They had set up the fire to cook the animals under the hole so the smoke blew out and didn't linger. Will couldn't shake the feeling that he was being watched.

"Thanks." Will took a bite of his rabbit. "Did you happen to see any tracks when you went hunting?" Will asked as he finished chewing.

"No. Why?" Elton looked at Will funny. Elton and Blakely had already finished their dinner and were now lounging by the fire.

"Just a feeling. No biggie." Will shrugged as if the matter was small.

"So. Are we going to the falls tomorrow?" Blakely looked at Elton for an answer.

"Will and I got tomorrow off, but the walk to the falls takes up half a day and then we have to return home." Elton sighed. "Dad won't mind if we're gone another day I suppose. After all, Will has to be shown around."

"Chilton will kill you if you're not back though," Blakely said.

"Naw he won't. We finished the major things. As long as we get back the day after tomorrow we'll be fine. He's been real easy going lately. I think because I'm back and he's not working his butt off all by himself."

"Nice. Do you want to take first watch?" Blakely grinned at Elton.

"We don't need a watch. I didn't see anything suspicious so I think we'll be fine." Elton looked at Will. "Did you see anything out of the ordinary?"

"No." Will tried to hide a yawn but Blakely saw.

"Why don't we turn in for the night? We'll be walking a good part of tomorrow and I don't want to take any brakes." Blakely stood up and went out of the circle of light. He returned with three bedrolls. He tossed one to Will and the other to Elton.

"Will! Wake up! It's an emergency!" Will opened his eyes and saw a terrified Elton shaking him.

"What's happening? Will asked sitting up and stretching.

Elton glanced over his shoulder to the mouth of the cave. Will followed his gaze and let out a gasp. There was a big shape outlined in the mouth of the cave. Another shape, smaller, rushed at the big outline with a knife. The small shape stabbed the big shape and rushed backwards as a paw the size of his head was swung at him.

"There's a bear. Blakely woke up and saw it approaching the cave. Hurry! Grab the sword dad gave you and come help." Elton looked back at Blakely and ran towards the bear, sword in hand.

Will quickly retrieved the sword he had received and followed Elton. Despite the attacks they planted on the bear, the beast was wearing them out and it was staying strong. Their moves were sluggish after a while and it was becoming dangerous to attack. Blakely took a lunge at the bear and was smacked into the wall of the cave. He lay still. When all seemed lost, the bear fell. Elton and Will had been maneuvering towards Blakely when the bear fell and it startled them both.

"What happened?" Will asked keeping the sword held high. On their walk to the cave, Elton had talked to Will about the basics and Will had remembered that you should keep the sword held high until you were positive the fight was over.

"Don't know. Go check on Blakely. I'll look at the bear and make sure it's dead." Elton moved towards the bear with his sword ready to kill.

Will moved to Blakely cautiously keeping an eye on the bear. "Blakely. Come on, wake up." Will leaned by the slumped figure and started lightly slapping his face. Blakely started to stir.

"What happened? Is the bear dead? Am I dead?" Blakely stared hazily at Will.

"The bear is dead. You got thrown against the wall pretty hard though. You look fine but you were knocked out for a little bit." Blakely made to stand but Will held him down. "Just rest. I'll go see what's up with the bear." Will left Blakely and moved over to Elton who was studying the bear's back.

"Three arrows. They went right through everything and hit the heart. From the looks of it, we seem to have a friend out there." Elton looked at Will and grinned. "Just wait until dad hears about this. Now come on, let's drag this thing out of here. We don't need wolves." Elton bent and started pulling the back legs out of the cave. "Don't just stand there! This thing is like four hundred pounds."

Will bent down and started pulling the front end of the bear out. "Truly a night to remember." Will mumbled to himself.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I do not own Ranger's Apprentice or any of its characters**

Chapter 7: The Falls

The roar was deafening. Will looked down and immediately took a step back. The height was higher than the castle walls. He turned to see what the older boys were doing and was surprised to see them motioning for him to come back to the edge. Will obliged and made sure he didn't look down again. Instead he looked at Elton.

"This is the falls. We've been coming here since we were little kids. Dad found it one day when we were tracking a wolf that had been taking our animals. Since then this has been our place. Nobody else knows about it." Elton grinned and looked back at the thundering water.

They were standing on the rocky edge of the border a few inches away from where the ground abruptly stopped. On Will's left the river was rushing down the steep drop. They had hiked since dawn and they were all pretty tired but Will could tell that Elton and Blakely had no intention to stop until they got where they wanted to go.

"Come on Will." Elton and Blakely walked a meter or two to their right where a somewhat path led down the slope. Will walked over. "This path will take us to the bottom then we'll walk behind the water to a little shelf. It's really neat."

The going was slow and dangerous. Elton went first then Will then Blakely. Twice Will slipped and Blakely had to help him regain his footing. Once they got to the bottom, Will let out a breath he had been holding. They were standing on a large rock positioned right by the falling water but pushed back some so it wasn't soaking. Elton walked towards the water and disappeared behind it. Will followed and found that where the water came to meet the rock, another rock was pushed back into the cliff providing an excellent hideout. Elton helped him get to the shelf and they waited for Blakely.

The noise was almost unbearable but the sight was amazing. The platform they were standing on was at the mouth of a gigantic cave set right behind the waterfall. The edge of the platform was wet but it was dry everywhere else. Will stood transfixed by the sight of the water coming down right in front of him.

"Amazing isn't it?" Elton came and stood by Will. "We'll stay here for the rest of the day and tomorrow we can get going back."

"What will we do here?" Will tore his eyes away from the water and looked at Elton.

"Why swim of course." Elton grinned and Will returned the smile.

The rest of the day, they spent swimming and kidding around. Eventually they went back to the platform and made a fire. It was more for warmth than anything else. Elton took the sack and opened it up. He took out the food and started dividing it up leaving a little for the journey back and breakfast. After supper, they curled up in their bedrolls and fell asleep.


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I do not own Ranger's Apprentice or any of its characters**

Chapter 8: A Mysterious Life Saver

"Come on Will, it's time to leave. We got to get back as fast as we can." Elton gave Will his breakfast and Will finished it in a minute.

They made their way back up the path they had taken down. Will slipped a few times on the rockier parts but otherwise kept his footing pretty well. When they got to the top, they flopped down on the ground and lay there for a while. Will got up while the others lay resting and made his way over to the drop and looked down. Heights had never bothered Will but this drop made him dizzy.

Suddenly Will felt himself starting to fall forward. He let out a cry and heard the others get up to see what the problem was. When they saw him fall over the edge they sprinted to the edge. Will caught hold of a handhold and held on scrambling for a foothold or something to make him get a better hold. He looked up to see Elton and Blakely reaching down to help him but he was too far down.

"Move aside." Will heard a voice say. Soon he saw a cloaked head poke over the drop. "I'm going to drop a rope down. When I say let go, trust me and let go. You'll have to grab the rope. It's pretty long but try and grab it immediately. Hold on and I'll haul you up." The face disappeared.

The figure returned shortly and dropped a long rope down the cliff. It uncoiled as it fell. The figure then whistled and Will heard hooves on the rocks and the face disappeared. Soon the figure looked down at Will. He looked in Will's eyes and held the gaze.

"Do you trust me?" Their eyes were still locked. Will nodded. "If you miss the rope, try to move so you land in the water. Now let go."

Will let go and fell a few inches before he grabbed the rope. Once he had hold, he held on with an iron grip. He felt himself being raised and soon he was lying on the ground with Elton and Blakely standing over him. The Ranger took the rope, untied it from his horse and coiled it up and placed it in his saddlebags. He then mounted and rode into the forest.

For a while, all Will could do was lie still and breathe deeply. Elton told Blakely to go and collect their stuff. Will sat up and looked at Elton.

"That Ranger just saved my life." Will was amazed that the mysterious man had saved him. Everybody was always saying how Rangers were black sorcerers and that they cursed those who annoyed them.

"I know. I wish I could have thanked him properly. Let's get going." Elton helped Will up and they started off.


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: I do not own Ranger's Apprentice or any of its characters**

Chapter 9: Running Away

It was a week since the incident at the falls. The boys had decided not to tell in fear that they may never get to go back. That and they thought if they told, Halt would curse them or turn them into frogs. Even Will kept his mouth shut. He liked the falls and wished that they could go back more.

Despite the growing affection he felt for the Neils and his love of the falls, Will hated the farm. It wasn't because of the location or the work or even the smell. It was because of the unadventurous lifestyle. Each day was the same as the last and nothing new ever happened. Nobody came by; they seemed to live in their own world. Will was tired of it all.

"I have to run away." Will muttered as he brushed Scholar.

That night, Will packed clothes and some dried beef to take with him. He had been living in a stall in the barn so sneaking out wouldn't be a problem. Before he set off, he left a note for the family he had come to like so much.

Dear Neils,

I am sorry, but I have to leave. This life isn't right for me. I prefer to live adventures. This choice is in no way because of anything you have done. Do not blame yourselves.

Sincerely,

Will

"That should do it." Will set the note in the middle of his stall so they could easily find it.

He had no idea where he should go, so he set off into the dark forest. Almost immediately Will realized that he had to turn back. The forest was simply too dark to navigate. He didn't feel comfortable sleeping in the forest either. Even though he had brought the sword with him, the memory of the bear still haunted him. He couldn't return so he walked along the edge of the forest moving with the shifting shadows so not to be seen.

The snarl came out of nowhere. Will turned and searched the darkness but saw nothing. The snarl started again. Will was becoming terrified. He turned in a circle and caught movement to his left. The side that was facing the forest. His breathing became rapid and his mind went into overdrive. He went to draw his sword put felt something tackle him from where he had seen the movement. He lay on the ground with a wolf over him snarling and bearing its sharp fangs. Will fell unconscious out of fear.


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: I do not own Ranger's Apprentice or any of its characters**

Chapter 10: A Surprising Offer

Will woke up in a clearing surrounded by trees. He was lying on his back by a fire and his arm felt like it had been torn off. He looked down at his right arm and gasped. There were deep teeth marks that had been bandaged but blood was bleeding through. He groaned and rolled his head back.

"Awake already are we?" The cloaked figure that had saved Will's life at the falls looked down at him. "You're lucky I got to you. That wolf gave me some trouble though, you must taste pretty good." There was the barest hint of amusement in the figure's words.

"Don't curse me. Please. I was just taking a stroll and I was attacked," Will said as if he were floating.

"Why would I curse you?" Halt lowered his cowl to reveal his black-gray hair and beard.

"Because you're a Ranger and I have wasted your time." Will replied. He seemed to be coming back into reality.

"Do I honestly look like I could like I could curse you? Besides, if I wanted to cause you harm I would have left the wolf to deal with you or let you drop at the falls or let that bear finish you." Will grunted. "Why were you running away?"

"I was taking a stroll." Will protested.

"In the middle of the night. With a pack of clothes and beef. Heading farther and farther away from your home." Halt looked unconvinced. "Tell me the truth."

"I was running away okay? Farm life isn't my thing. It's so boring! I want to live a life of adventures. I want to do something for the fief besides provide food." Will looked at Halt and he knew Halt believed him.

"Interesting. So if you were offered a better deal, you would take it?" Halt leaned down beside Will and dragged his right arm across his body to re-bandage it.

"Absolutely. I would take it in a heartbeat," Will said wistfully.

"One more thing, why didn't you get the note I left with the baron?" Halt carefully unwrapped Will's arm making sure not to cause him pain.

"I was to upset. It was devastating to not be accepted by a single craft master. All I wanted to do was be left alone." Will sighed. "Are you going to take me back?"

"No, I'm taking you to my home. You are going to be my apprentice." Will looked terrified. "You wanted adventure and being a Ranger is quite adventurous most times." Halt saw the expression on Will's face. "I'm not that bad you know. Just make sure you can tell the difference between the front and back of an arrow." Again there was the barest hint of amusement in the man's words. That made Will worry.

**From there, Will goes to Halt's house and they basically start from when Will gets his horse.**


End file.
